Top 6 Favorite Big Screen Christmas Movies

One of my favorite things about Christmas is all of the Christmas movies. I love nights in December when the weekly TV shows have re-runs or there is nothing on to watch and I pop in one of my favorite Christmas movies. While the classics like It’s a Wonderful Life and Scrooge are great movies I have a list of modern favorites that are on my must see list each season.

1) Elf – Will Ferrell, as the over-sized, love-able Elf, who is trying to fit in with his newly found father in NYC, after living at the North Pole his whole life is a mainstay in my arsenal. For weeks after those who watch it with me will be saying “I love smiling, smiling is my favorite”.

2) National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – This is the first Christmas movie that must be watched every year. It is like the starting bell at a race, once this one has been watched the season has officially started. If it is not watched on Thanksgiving Eve or Thanksgiving evening it will be watched by the end of the Thanksgiving weekend.

3) Christmas With the Kranks – While I can’t relate to the premise of this movie, because I would never want to be away from family on Christmas, it is one of my favorites. And, as with any good Christmas Movie this one has a touching and happy ending

4) How The Grinch Stole Christmas – I loved the big screen adaption of this classic cartoon. I think Jim Carrey is magnificent as the Grinch and can’t think of another actor who could have pulled of the facial expressions needed for the role. And I still want one of the light shooting/hanging devices that they used in Whoville to decorate the houses in mere seconds.

5) Deck The Halls – When Danny Devito’s character decides that his holiday decorating goal is to make his house seen from space a feud with his neighbor, played by Matthew Broderick ensues, leaving both characters to learn a valuable holiday lesson.

6) A Christmas Story – Christmas is not complete without seeing this movie at least once during the TBS 24-hour yearly marathon on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

What are your must see big screen Christmas movies each Holiday season?